Alamos - The Wines of Catena

Named for the poplar trees that line the high altitude vineyards of Mendoza and protect them from the mountain winds.Alamos is The Wine of the Andes. The mountains on the label pay homage to the high altitude, mountain climate of Mendoza.The resulting cool nights produce better natural acidity and synchronized ripeness of sugars and polyphenols. Intense sunlight enhances concentration of aromas and flavors.

Our WinesThe Catena family began to make Alamos in 1993 as a second label to Catena. Alamos is sourced from some of the Catena family's younger vineyards in the best areas of Mendoza's high altitude wine country. Yields are kept low and all our vineyards are hand harvested. Our goal is to be true to our "house" style of rich and concentrated wines that have distinct varietal character.

ViticultureThe Andes are some of the highest mountains in the world, they are a cloud curtain that blocks storms from the Pacific Ocean, thereby creating Mendoza's desert climate.High altitude means cooler nights for better acidity & synchronized ripeness of sugars and polyphenols.High altitude means more intense sunlight which enhances aromatics of Malbec and creates thicker skins, leading to richer, more intense wines.Grapes for Alamos wines are sourced from high altitude, mountain vineyard sites at elevations of 3,000 - 5,000. Half of the grapes come from young vines in the Catena family estate vineyards and half are purchased from growers who are closely managed by Alamos vineyard managers.Grapes for Alamos wines are sourced the premiere regions of Lujan de Cuyo & Valle de Uco. Lujan de Cuyo is from 3,000 - 3,500' elevation and produces wines with excellent mid-palate richness. Valle de Uco ranges from 3,700 - 5,000' elevation. The cooler conditions produce wines with aromatic intensity and freshness, while the more intense sunshine lends overall concentration and structure.Malbec was brought to Mendoza in 1852 by French viticulturalist Miguel Pouget.Its unique adaptation to Mendoza allowed it to quickly became the most widely planted red wine varietal, reaching 120,000 acres in 1968.Consumption changes caused Malbec to loose favor and surface area dropped to 25,000 acres in 1990.The Catena family helped to resurrect Malbec, showing its potential for quality, and today it is again the most widely planted red wine varietal, with 136,000 acres planted throughout the country.

WinemakingThe Alamos winemaking philosophy is to make flavorful, drinkable wines that preserve each varietal's distinctive aroma, flavor and texture. Some of the Alamos wines acquire additional complexity from moderate oak aging. The Alamos winemaking team aims to make wines that are as good as wines twice their price.Grapes for Alamos are hand harvested to ensure gentle handling. A double manual selection process ensures only the best grapes are used. (Such demanding selection is usually reserved for wines at US$ 30 or more).Alamos wines receive moderate oak aging of a mixture of French and American oak which varies according to the vintage.Alamos wines are made at Bodega Alamos, a state of the art facility located in Vistaflores, Mendoza. The winery is specially designed conic tanks allow for soft, gentle extraction. It also has small format tanks allow for lot selection and separation.PEOPLEThe Alamos winemaking team is lead by Felipe Stahlschmidt. Felipe received his winemaking degree from the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo and is finishing the thesis for his Masters in Viticulture and Winemaking in Mendoza. Felipe trained as Assistant Winemaker to Alejandro Vigil, Chief Winemaker at Bodega Catena Zapata.An avid andinista Felipe has climbed the mighty Aconcagua mountain 7 times. On Malbec, Felipe believes: "Malbec and Mendoza are a marriage made in heaven! Our beautiful high altitude climate produces Malbecs that are rich, exuberant and full of character."